Hunter Labrada, the American bodybuilder and son of IFBB Hall of Famer Lee Labrada, is determined to make a comeback after an unimpressive showing at the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition. Despite his setback, Labrada remains undeterred and has been making changes to his training and diet in the off-season. He recently shared his thoughts on how to break through plateaus in a YouTube video, offering tips and tricks to fellow gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts.
Labrada entered the Men’s Open division as a legacy competitor in 2020 and won the top prize at the Tampa Pro, showcasing his enormous muscle mass, size, and posing skills. He then joined the lineup for Mr. Olympia, where he placed eighth in his first outing. He went on to win gold at the 2021 Chicago Pro and improved his standing to fourth place at the 2021 Mr. Olympia. However, his performance at the 2022 Mr. Olympia was not up to his standards, and he dropped down to seventh place.
Following the result, Labrada expressed his frustration with his performance, and his coach Ben Chow admitted that he came in flatter than anticipated due to troubles in timing his peak. Given that he was not in the top six, Labrada decided to compete in two shows to qualify for the Olympia contest and figure out his peak. He started a new diet and training routine for the off-season earlier this year and has been regularly educating his fanbase on a variety of topics related to fitness and bodybuilding.
Labrada recently shared his full day of eating along with the supplements he was consuming, offered tips on building lower body muscle, and smoked a heavy leg workout. One of his biggest ambitions for the season is to lean out his midsection, and he detailed three ways of using vacuums to enhance core control. He also gave fans a look into his preparations for the upcoming guest posing appearances at the Emerald Cup and the Pittsburgh Pro, weighing in at 283 pounds while fasting and listing the new diet he was utilizing to get ready for the shows.
In his recent YouTube video, Labrada shared his thoughts on pushing past any point of stalled progress in the training room. He emphasized the importance of employing some kind of intensity technique or a plateau breaker if stuck on a set and getting the same amount of reps more than two sessions in a row. He recommended doing rest pause, doing it for as many reps as possible, taking 10 breaths resting 15ish seconds, and then going as many as possible again aiming to get three or four more. Doing that a couple of weeks in a row and then going back to building that straight set can help break through lifting plateaus.
Labrada also gave his take on the changes in training during the off-season and in prep. He revealed that he does not change anything regardless of the period of the year that he’s in, whether it’s a contest prep, an off-season, a health phase, or another. He trains the same way, very much so logged progressive overload training, with the only thing changing being the load and the volume. In the off-season, he’s obviously stronger, full of food, and body fat’s a little higher, and the load and volume might be a little higher, although he’s very low volume even in the off-season as he goes into the prep. The poundages will go down a bit because obviously strength takes a dip, but the variable he likes to play with a little more is reducing the volume.
Labrada has been open about his journey in developing the gym and bodybuilding mindset, encouraging more experienced lifters to set realistic goals and allow themselves time to build the skill. He has also offered tips on growing weaker calves in a straightforward way and laid out a detox drink that helps boost gut health and improve digestion. His latest update will undoubtedly help fellow gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts get back on track for progress and adjust their training routine throughout the year accordingly.
Labrada is determined to reassert himself in the mix of title contention and make a comeback after his uneventful Olympia showing. With his determination and dedication to his craft, it’s only a matter of time before he achieves his goals and cements his legacy in the world of bodybuilding.
